COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT ARE OFTEN IN SERVICE FOR LONGER THAN ANY OTHER TYPE OF VEHICLE, TYPICALLY SPANNING OVER THREE DECADES. The longevity or lifespan of the aircraft requires high-quality testing of aircraft parts, such as seating, doors, cabinets, and other components, to ensure they are secure and functional. With 45,000 daily flights handled by the FAA and 10 million scheduled passenger flights annually, the safety of the thousands of parts on a plane is non-negotiable. Jamco America, Inc. of Everett, Washington, offers commercial aircraft testing services for both high-end seats and products manufactured by the company, as well as aerospace parts testing for other manufacturers.
The testing lab offers dynamic and static load testing, life cycle testing, intrusion-resistance testing, fire properties testing, and fire containment testing. Executive VP of Jamco America, Inc., Donald Wren said,“ With a constantly growing demand for commercial aircraft interior products and services, we help aircraft manufacturers, operators, and other suppliers by providing high-quality testing services in our FAA-approved facilities.”
He noted most people within the regional aerospace industry are aware of their fire properties test facility, but don’ t know they have a dynamic test facility for aircraft seating. He said they have a dynamic sled installed by Seattle Safety, complete with crash test dummies, to ensure that during a crash, the aircraft seats are firmly adhered to the aircraft at 16Gs.
Wren stated that before 1994, a series of aircraft accidents occurred in which the plane overran the runway during an emergency landing. He cited the survivability of these accidents, but said the seats broke free, which caused people to become crushed by the weight or have broken limbs. In some cases, the passengers died from smoke inhalation when trapped on the aircraft.
The FAA implemented a rule requiring seat designs to include a mechanism that prevents dislodgment, allowing passengers to escape the aircraft within 90 seconds. Jamco implemented dynamic testing in 2016 and obtained FAA approval in 2017. Currently, they test aircraft interior components, including seats, seat furniture, lavatories, closets, class dividers, partitions, flight deck doors, and more.
Wren noted,“ The Part 25 Airworthiness Requirements( FAA & EASA) for cabin safety are all designed to work in unison to help you survive emergency landing situations.” He said the 90-second evacuation is essential because the aircraft can quickly reach flashover point due to the flammability of jet fuel.“ There are cabin safety system regulations for FAA and EASA for structural, flammability, aisle widths, seat installation distances, signage for exits, etc.” All regulations are meant to operate in unison.
“ It is likely the airplane will catch on fire due to the fuel.” According to regulations, all materials must be selfextinguished upon exit from the plane.
30 NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS